UN peacekeeping reaps 'return on investment'

United Nations
peacekeeping operations are reaping a “return on their
investment” as countries which in the past hosted them are
now in turn contributing police to other missions, officials
with the world body said today.

Timor Leste and Croatia
became new contributors in 2005, while Bosnia and
Herzegovina upped the number of officers it is providing and
El Salvador increased its police deployment seven-fold over
2004.

Collectively, these four countries – all of which
once hosted UN peacekeeping operations – last year
contributed 67 of the 7,258 police officers deployed in 15
operations worldwide. While that represents a small portion
of the overall force, UN officials say the significance goes
beyond the numbers.

“Governments in countries where the
UN was once deployed to keep peace are now showing their
appreciation for the stability we have cultivated by sending
their own officers out to other hotspots,” said Police
Advisor Mark Kroeker. “It is a vote of confidence for United
Nations peacekeeping from those who know best how we
operate.”

The addition of new police contributors in 2005
is part of a trend that Mr. Kroeker intends to expand. Last
year, 81 countries provided police; his target for this year
is 100. “This is an ambitious goal but I believe we can meet
it,” he told the UN News Service. “And by adding more States
we can further diversify our contingents.”

Mr. Kroeker is
aiming not only to extend the geographic base of
contributors but also to encourage greater participation by
women. “Female representation currently stands at 3 per
cent, which I consider shameful,” he stated. “Female
officers have a distinct and important role to play, and I
strongly urge more police contributing countries to provide
women to our operations.”

Recently, the small and remote
Pacific island nation of Palau provided its first
contribution, sending two female officers that were trained
in Greece to serve in Timor-Leste.

Other countries have
significantly increased their deployments, such as Guinea,
which contributed 3 officers in 2004 and 96 in 2005, and
Senegal, which went from 155 in 2004 to 417 in 2005.

UN
Police play a crucial role in peacekeeping operations and
other field missions, patrolling, providing training,
advising local police services, helping to ensure compliance
with human rights standards and assisting in a wide range of
other areas. In so doing, they help to foster a safer
environment where communities will be better protected and
criminal activities will be prevented, disrupted and
deterred.

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